Stadium seat



Nov. 22, 1938. .1. THOMPSON 2,137,312

STADIUM SEAT Filed April 29, 1938 L. J Thompson By fiiJAii hZJM-WW Parana 22, 1938 2 T ain-r My invention provides what is herein designated as a bleacher or stadium seat and, generally stated, consists of the novel devices, combination of devices and arrangement of parts herein- 5 after described and defined in the claims.

This term bleacher seat is used to indicate a portable seat that is capable of being readily attached and detached from plank or board seats such as found in baseball parks, circuses and the like.

The objectsof my invention are the provision of a seat for the above or similar purposes that will afford the greatest comfort to the user, is capable of being applied, removed and transported, and which, while strong and durable, may be constructed at reasonable small cost.

Seats of this improved character may, of course, be sold to the trade, but are especially adapted and intended to be rented at the place of use, usually for a particulargame or performance.

The preferred and commercial form of the improved seat is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. Referring to the drawing: Fig. l is a perspective showing the complete seat viewed from the rear;

Fig. 2 shows the complete seat viewed from the front and applied to a seat plank of a bleacher, or the like; i

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3--ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective showing the steel frame of the seat;

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing the cushion of the seat;

Fig. 6 is a perspective showing the envelopelike hood removed from the back of the seat frame; and

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-1 of Fig. 6, some parts being broken away.

' The seat frame is made from spring metal preferably steel, and may be either a solid rod or as spring steel tube. This seat frame, which is shown segregated and in detail in Fig. 4, is indicated as an entirety by the numeral it. This member i0 is formed from a single rod bent to form parallel uprights Illa, a cross-connecting member lllb forming a yoke-like frame back, and horizontal base portions lo, the ends of which are bent downward and backward to form clamping prongs llid. It is important to note that the upright frame portions Illa are bent or turned obliquely backward and upward between the points marked a and b on Fig. 4, and that the member lllb between the points bb is bowed backward, all for purposes which will hereinafter more fully appear.

The seat cushion l2 preferably involves a cas- 5 ing of canvas or similar material stuffedwith filling material lil. At its back this cushion l2 is provided with a loop-forming strap ll, the ends of which are secured to the ends of the rear edge of the cushion. For a reason hereinafter 10 noted this strap I4 is of elastic material.

To close more or less the gap between the upper portions of the rods Illa and to form a back rest, an envelope-like hood ll of canvas or the like is slipped over the yoke and upper portions 15 of said rods.- When the seat cushion l2 is in position, the elastic strap or loop it will be slipped over the vertical rods or parts of the frame thereby positioning the cushion between or upon the horizontal portions ltc of the frame. 20

The main function of this loop strip M is to keep the cushion in proper position and to keep the same from being disconnected from the frame when the seat is moved about. When the seat is applied on a seat-forming board or support A 25 i of a bleacher, granstand, or the like, the prongs ltd will grip the edges of the said seat board and prevent the seat from rocking backward. Moreover, when any pressure produced by leaning back against the hood occurs it will simply tight- 30 en the grip of the prongs ltd on the board A. Pressure on the central portion of the hood will tend to pull the sides of the frame together, but the same pressure will cause the prongs llld to more tightly grip the board A and prevent the g5 sides of the frame from approaching.

Flexibility in the strap loop it permits the sides of the frame to be spread so that the hood will always be stretched taut. When the occupant of the seat leans backward against the hood, it will be chiefly engaged between the points marked lid and llb and pressure will not be directed against the extreme upper portion of the hood or against the backwardly bowed transverse portion lllb of the frame unless the 4,5 pressure on the hood is extremely great. Ordinarily the hood will be engaged only between the said points i la and llb so that very great resilience is afforded for the back pressure. Moreover, the supporting frame of the seat is quite 5Q resilient and this, coupled with the fact that the cushion is well padded. makes the device a very comfortable seat. In view of the statements just made, it will be understood that the backward bend of the sides of the frame above the points s marked a on Fig. 4 is important because it throws the bowed portion llb where it will not interfere with the resilience and cushioning action afforded by the hood.

In the foregoing it will be understood that the invention described is capable of various modifications within the scope of the invention disclosed and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a seat of the kind described, a frame made backportions of said frame, and which cushion is provided with a loop-forming strap slipped over the back-forming portion of said frame.

2. In a seat of the kind described, a frame made up of a metallic rod bent to form an upright yoke-like frame back and horizontal base portions, in combination with a flexible hood detachably slipped over the yoke of said frame, and a seat cushion associated with the base and back portions, and which cushion is provided with a loop-forming strap slipped over the backforming portion of said frame, the loop-forming strap of said cushion being of resilient material permitting the back portion of said frame to be spread into tight engagement with said hood.

LEONARD J. THOMPSON. 

